COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates mental health

[CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY CONSTELLATION ENERGY GROUP] [CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CAPTION CONTENT AND ACCURACY. VISIT NCICAP.ORG] JASON: AT A TIME WHEN SO MANY MAY FEEL ISOLATED, COMES NEW IMPORTANCE TO THE PHRASE “YOU ARE NOT ALONE.” BUT KNOWING WHEN OR HOW TO SEEK MENTAL HEALTH HELP CAN BE A DAUNTING PROCESS TO START. HELLO, EVERYONE. I’M JASON NEWTON. AND WELCOME TO 11 T.V. HILL. MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. THE PANDEMIC IS RENEWING FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS CONVERSATION. THAT’S WHY HERE AT WBAL TV WE’VE LAUNCHED A NEW INITIATIVE CALLED MARYLAND PEACE OF MIND. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. A CDC SURVEY FROM JUNE FOUND 31% OF RESPONDENTS REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION. 13% REPORTED EITHER STARTING OR INCREASING SUBSTANCE USE. THIS IS NEARLY DOUBLE PRE-PANDEMIC RATES. WE BEGIN OUR CONVERSATION TODAY WITH DR. JILL RACHBEISEL FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE WITH A LOOK AT THE COUNTRY’S CURRENT TRENDS JOINING US NOW IS DR. JILL RACHBEISEL. THANKS FOR MAKING TIME THIS MORNING. DR. RACHBEISEL: THANKS FOR HAVING ME. JASON: TELL ME WHAT THINGS WERE LIKE PRE-PANDEMIC WITH YOUR PATIENTS AND THEN WORKING HER WAY INTO IT, HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED FROM YOUR VIEW? DR. RACHBEISEL: CERTAINLY, PRE-PANDEMIC, THE RATE OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS WERE PROMINENT IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WITH THE PANDEMIC, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREDIBLE INCREASE IN THE RATE OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, AS WELL AS SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS. THAT IS PREDOMINATELY FED BY THE INCREASE IN WORRYING AND STRESS OVER FEARS OF THE PANDEMIC, THE INFECTION, GETTING INFECTED, DIANE, HAVING LOVED ONES DIE, FINANCIAL LOSSES, LOSS OF ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, SCHOOLS BEING CLOSED TO KIDS BEING HOME. JUST INCREDIBLE STRESS FOR BOTH FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS. IT HAS BEEN VERY DRAMATIC. WHAT HAS BEEN INTERESTING COME IN THE FIRST FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC WE SAW THIS INCREDIBLE INCREASE IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AND THE IMPACT ON PREDOMINANTLY WOMEN. YOUTH HAVE BEEN GREATLY IMPACTED. COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS OF COLOR. SO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TRENDS, THEY REACHED ABOUT 50% OF ADULTS , EXPERIENCING SOME FORM OF MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE. THAT 50% HAS MAINTAINED RIGHT THERE THROUGH THE ENTIRE PANDEMIC, AND STAYS THERE TODAY. WE HAVE SUFFERED GREATLY, AND CONTINUE TO SUFFER. JASON: WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS TAKEN THE BIGGEST TOLL ON PEOPLE? THE SOCIAL CHANGES, NOT SEEING BUDDIES ENOUGH, ONLY COMMUNICATING ELECTRONICALLY, OR THE JOB I’M AWARE YOU ARE SENT HOME AND ISOLATED, AND HOME IS WORK NOW? DR. RACHBEISEL: IT’S A GREAT QUESTION, AND I THINK IT DEPENDS ON YOUR AGE. SURPRISINGLY, WE FIND THE YOUNGER YOU ARE THE MORE DIFFICULT THIS IS. WE ARE SOCIAL BEINGS, SOCIAL ANIMALS. WE THRIVE ON INTERACTING WITH OTHER PEOPLE, CONVERSATION. WHEN WE ARE ISOLATED, THE LONELINESS, THE SEPARATION, ISOLATION HAS BEEN DRAMATIC. THAT DECREASES ONE’S RESILIENCE. STUDIES SHOW, WHEN YOU ARE LONELY, ISOLATED, YOU ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO PHYSICAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. CHILDREN IN PARTICULAR — INCOME MIDDLE SCHOOLERS. DEVELOPMENTALLY, THEY THRIVE ON PEER GROUPS, FRIEND GROUPS, BEING SOCIALLY CONNECTED, AND THEY START TO SEPARATE FROM THEIR PARENTS. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY ARE THROWN INTO HOUSEHOLD ONLY WITH THEIR PARENTS AND SEPARATED FROM HER FRIENDS. THAT ISOLATION HAS BEEN QUITE IMPACTFUL. JASON: I HEARD SOME TERMS OVER THE WEEKEND, COVID FATIGUE AND DEPRESSION. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO, AND WHAT IS IT? DR. RACHBEISEL: I THINK WE ALL HAVE COVID FATIGUE, WHERE YOU JUST BECOME EXHAUSTED WITH TRYING TO COPE WITH THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF STAYING SEPARATE, STAYING APART, MAS KED, BEING CAREFUL, WASHING YOUR HANDS. IT JUST BECOMES EXHAUSTING. WHEN IT TURNS TO CLINICAL DEPRESSION, IT IS ACTUALLY IMPACTING YOUR FUNCTIONING. WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL NOTICES IN THEMSELVES OR SOMEBODY ELSE A DECREASE IN FUNCTION, BEING ABLE TO CONCENTRATE, SLEEP, EAT, COMPLETE TASKS, TO THINK CLEARLY. THAT IS WHEN YOU ARE STARTING TO ENTER REALLY A CLINICAL DEPRESSION THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS VERY SERIOUSLY. JASON: THERE IS A WAY FOR FOLKS TO REACH OUT TO YOU OR ONE OF THE CLINICS. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO IT? DR. RACHBEISEL: IF THEY ARE NOT SURE WHAT THEY NEED, IS TO CALL OUR PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY SERVICE NUMBER WHICH IS 410-32 8-1219. AND THEN THEY CAN BE DIRECTED. THERE IS LOTS OF HELP OUT THERE FOR INDIVIDUALS, PARTICULARLY WITH THE INCREASE OF CHILD ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WITH ALL OF THIS ISOLATION AND CONTAINMENT. THERE ARE NATIONAL NUMBERS THAT PEOPLE CAN REACH OUT TO AND THEN GET CONNECTED LOCALLY AS WELL. JASON: I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DR. RACHBEISEL: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. JASON: JUST AS IMPORTANT AS KNOWING WHERE TO GET HELP IS KNOWING YOU NEED HELP. TWO BALTIMORE COUNTY WOMEN SHARED THEIR PERSONAL AND CANDID STORIES WITH 11 NEWS ANCHOR DEBORAH WEINER. BOTH OPENED AND DETERMINED TO REMOVE ANY STIGMAS ASSOCIATED WITH TREATING MENTAL HEALTH. DEBORAH: JUST ABOUT THREE MILES SEPARATES MICHELLE, FROM LORRIE, TWO BALTIMORE COUNTY WOMEN WHO DON’T KNOW EACH OTHER, BUT WHO SHARE A LEVEL OF DEEP, EMOTIONAL DISCOMFORT EXCAREBATED BY THE PANDEMIC. >> IT IS HARD TO GET EXCITED FOR THINGS, HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, WHEN NOTHING IS GUARANTEED, NOTHING WORKS LIKE IT USED TO. >> IT IS SUCH A HEART WRENCHING FEELING TO HAVE YOUR DEPRESSION COME DOWN ON YOU SO HEAVY AND PUT YOU IN SUCH A DARK PLACE. DEBORAH: MICHELLE, A RETIRED HOME HEALTH AIDE, HAS BATTLED DEPRESSION FOR YEARS AND, LIKE MANY, SELF MEDICATED, BEFORE BECOMING CLEAN AND SOBER, ALMOST TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO. BUT IN QUARANTINE, VITAL MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, ACESSED ONLY VIRTUALLY THROUGH HER PHONE, JUST MADE HER FEEL MORE ALONE. >> IT HAD ME IN SUCH A DARK PLACE. IT WAS NOT GOOD. I JUST DIDN’T WANT TO DO NOTHING. DEBORAH: THEREBY AND WORKING A NEW JOB FROM HOME, LORRIE, GREW MORE ANXIOUS AND SAD, ESPECIALLY WHEN HER ADULT CHILDREN LOST HOUSING, JOBS, AND TIME IN COLLEGE. >> THE DARKEST PART IS THEM SEEING THEIR FUTURE JUST KIND OF WOBBLE. DEBORAH: AS A MOTHER OF ADULT CHILDREN, THE SAME AGE AS LORRIE’S, I GET IT. LORRIE ALSO TOLD ME SHE STRUGGLES WITH SLEEP AND SOMETIMES, FINDING HOPE. >> YOU FEEL COMPLETELY UNMOORED. YOU DON’T WANT TO MAKE TOO MANY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN. DEBORAH: DURING THE PANDEMIC, FOUR IN 10 ADULTS REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION, UP FROM ONE IN 10 THE YEAR BEFORE, ACCORDING TO THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION AND THE CDC. SOME THERAPISTS, LIKE BRYCE NOW HAVE WAIT LISTS, AT ITS HIGH POINT, 50 PEOPLE WERE IN A QUEUE FOR HELP. LOSING RELATIONSHIPS, BEING STUCK IN ISOLATION, THERE IS A WHOLE LOT OF TRAUMA THAT FOLLOWS THAT. THERE IS NOT A PARTICULAR DEMOGRAPHIC THAT THIS DID NOT AFFECT. DEBORAH: AT THE GAUDENZIA DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT PROGRAM, A REGIONAL DIRECTOR TOLD ME OF UNPRECEDENTED RELAPSES, LIKE AN 81-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO HAD BEEN SOBER FOR THREE DECADES, BUT FELL APART AFTER LOSING HIS SISTER AND SON TO COVID. >> IT WAS REALLY DEVASTATING. THE FEAR FOR US AS PROVIDERS IS THERE ARE PROBABLY A LOT MORE OF HIM OUT THERE. DEBORAH: BECAUSE ISOLATION IS AN ENEMY OF RECOVERY. >> THE CALLS NOW ARE DIFFERENT FROM TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO. THERE IS A MUCH DIFFERENT SENSE OF ANGST. >> I AM HERE AND HEALTHY. DEBORAH: MICHELLE DID NOT SUFFER A RELAPSE. SHE TOLD ME FAMILY WAS A BIG HELP, AND EVENTUALLY, SHE GREW COMFORTABLE WITH TELE HEALTH. YOU ARE A BRAVE WOMAN. >> THANK YOU. DEBORAH: AND SO FULL OF LIGHT. >> I HAVE TO BE, BECAUSE I WAS IN THE DARK FOR SO LONG. >> IT IS IMPORTANT TO NORMALIZE MENTAL HEALTH AND FEELINGS, AND WE CAN ALL USE SUPPORT. DEBORAH: LORRIE BELIEVES REMOVING THE MASK THAT HAS LONG SHIELDED MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IS VITAL. AND EVEN THOUGH SHE CONSIDERED CANCELING OUR INTERVIEW, SHE, LIKE MICHELLE, BRAVELY SHARED HER STRUGGLES. >> I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WON’T ACCEPT HELP OR SEE IT AS AN ADMISSION OF WEAKNESS, AND I DON’T WANT THEM TO SEE IT THAT WAY. I WANT THEM TO LET THESE GOOD PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP YOU, HELP T

11 TV Hill: Mental health awareness — You are not alone

Updated: 11:30 AM EDT May 16, 2021

At a time when so many people may feel isolated comes new importance to the phrase, “You are not alone.”But knowing when or how to seek mental health help can be a daunting process to start.May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the COVID-19 pandemic is renewing focus on the importance of this conversation. That’s why WBAL-TV has launched a new initiative called “Maryland Peace of Mind.”A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey from June found 31% of respondents reported symptoms of anxiety or depression and 13% reported either started or increased substance use — nearly double pre-pandemic rates.We begin our conversation with Dr. Jill Rachbeisel from the University of Maryland School of Medicine with a look at the country’s current trends. And, just as important as knowing where to get help is knowing you need help. Two Baltimore County women shared their personal and candid stories with 11 News anchor Deborah Weiner, both opening up and determined to remove any stigmas associated with mental health. (Video above)Behavioral Health Systems Baltimore sees increased needBehavioral Health Systems Baltimore is one of the many Maryland organizations whose mission is to help those struggling with their mental health, and they’re seeing a big increase in the amount of people who are using their services.Maryland Peace of Mind mental health resourcesWBAL-TV’s initiative, “Maryland Peace of Mind,” was created to address the traumatic and lasting effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of our community, and to help normalize the conversation surrounding mental health.Help-Maryland: Maryland’s Helpline, Call 211 press 1, is free and confidential, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It provides information service for individuals and family members facing mental illness and/or substance abuse.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline — Call 800-273-8255Text “HOME” to 741741 for help via the Crisis Text LineMaryland Psychiatric Society — Use “find a psychiatrist” to access database and search by patient type, county and area of interest.Maryland Public Mental Health System — Provides inpatient and outpatient mental health services for individuals with mental health illness for those with Medicaid and for others. Because of the severity of their illness and their financial need, some services within the benefits package may be available. There may be a small fee or co-pay required for individuals non-eligible for Medicaid.Black Mental Health Alliance-BaltimoreMentalHealth.gov — Information on a variety of mental health topics and resources.Pro Bono Counseling ProjectAmerican Academy of Pediatric Psychiatry — Information for families and childrenAmerican Psychiatric AssociationNational Institutes of Health and COVID-19 — “Do I Need Help?”National Institutes of Health resources on coping with COVID-19 and mental health

BALTIMORE —

At a time when so many people may feel isolated comes new importance to the phrase, “You are not alone.”

But knowing when or how to seek mental health help can be a daunting process to start.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the COVID-19 pandemic is renewing focus on the importance of this conversation. That’s why WBAL-TV has launched a new initiative called “Maryland Peace of Mind.”

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey from June found 31% of respondents reported symptoms of anxiety or depression and 13% reported either started or increased substance use — nearly double pre-pandemic rates.

We begin our conversation with Dr. Jill Rachbeisel from the University of Maryland School of Medicine with a look at the country’s current trends. And, just as important as knowing where to get help is knowing you need help. Two Baltimore County women shared their personal and candid stories with 11 News anchor Deborah Weiner, both opening up and determined to remove any stigmas associated with mental health. (Video above)

Behavioral Health Systems Baltimore sees increased need

Behavioral Health Systems Baltimore is one of the many Maryland organizations whose mission is to help those struggling with their mental health, and they’re seeing a big increase in the amount of people who are using their services.

Maryland Peace of Mind mental health resources

WBAL-TV’s initiative, “Maryland Peace of Mind,” was created to address the traumatic and lasting effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of our community, and to help normalize the conversation surrounding mental health.

• Maryland Public Mental Health System — Provides inpatient and outpatient mental health services for individuals with mental health illness for those with Medicaid and for others. Because of the severity of their illness and their financial need, some services within the benefits package may be available. There may be a small fee or co-pay required for individuals non-eligible for Medicaid.

• MentalHealth.gov — Information on a variety of mental health topics and resources.